Forum helps SAIL grantees move ahead

February 19, 2013

It may be cold outside, but a special set of nonprofit organizations already are setting “SAIL” on their commitment to expand and enhance learning opportunities this summer.

SAIL stands for Summer Adventures in Learning, a collaboration of six funders that is making possible $455,000 in grants to 16 Birmingham area organizations. Those organizations will meet on Friday, Feb. 22, to learn more about assessment tools and evaluation standards and to hear from enrichment providers, including Alabama Public Television, American Baseball Foundation, Cahaba River Society, Children’s Dance Foundation, Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham, Desert Island Supply Company (DISCO), Jones Valley Teaching Farms and McWane Science Center.

This forum, set for 9 to 11 a.m. at Independent Presbyterian Church, is the first in a series for funders and grantees, as they work in partnership to achieve the very highest standards of quality in summer programming for Birmingham’s children. The Community Foundation joins United Way of Central Alabama, The Belk Foundation, Daniel Foundation of Alabama, Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation and Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation in making grants to the following 16 organizations: A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club, American Baseball Foundation, Better Basics, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama, Children’s Creative Learning Center, Summer Advantage USA, IPC Children’s Fresh Air Farm, Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama, Higher Achievement Summer School, Impact Alabama: A Student Service Initiative, Impact Family Counseling, New Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church Community Support Corporation, NorthStar Youth Ministries, Birmingham YMCA, Tarrant City Schools and Urban Ministry.

If you are interested in finding out more about how to support summer learning through the Community Foundation as a strategy to make children successful in school, contact Marguerite Johnson.